Jamie Zakian

I'm always interested in a different take on the superhero genre. This book provided that. However, I found it difficult to like the characters very much, like, at all. And the attraction between Shay and Max was handled so weirdly. There's a 10 year age difference, with Shay only being 16 and while they both acknowledge (eventually) that they won't pursue a relationship, we the readers are still stuck reading the descriptions of how they respond physically to one another. It reminded me of reading Lolita, which is told from Humbert Humbert's perspective. IN that book, you're meant to be weirded out by his attraction to Lolita. IN Superheroes Suck, I *think* the readers are meant to find the attraction romantic but flawed. It really just felt flawed. And gross.… (altro)

Shay, a high school junior goes with her sister Evie, who is her guardian, an insurance claims adjuster, to the site of an ongoing superhero vs super villain conflict. Soon the two of them head a superhero regulation bureau at the office and laboratories of the billionaire member of the superhero trio. Given superheroes the unbelievable stuff is that an insurance company would spend money in advance of need, that universities would part with esoteric expensive lab equipment, that anti-super human weapons could be assembled with a soldering iron, that no 3-D printers were mentioned, though nano-bots were constructed. The writing was good and suitable to the action and plot, the characters were kind of interesting but kept doing things as if jerked on plot strings. Shay, is attracted to superhero Max's attraction to her, though it turns out she is hosting the soul of his lost love who was implanted in her by super–villain Lucian when Lucian killed her and Shay's parents. So it's complicated because Max is too old for Shay. Shay's gay friend Ollie drops out half way through, which is never resolved. Overall, the author is promising, but this book is too dependent on arbitrary actions and treating the real world elements with hand waving.… (altro)

I want to say first that I received a copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program, and I'm grateful to the publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a lot of fun, way more fun than I was expecting. It wasn't as centered around the aspects of it I thought it might be at first, but it's definitely a fun time with a lot of moving parts that weren't super dizzying and all made sense. Tightly told, really well paced, and the mysteries aren't too easily figured out nor do they seem to come out of left field.

My biggest issue with the book is a spoiler so: [[ the whole thing with Max being in love with Shay was a NIGHTMARE. Like for the most part it was handled okay narratively, with lots of people being like "she's a child, you CAN'T" and really he responded okay except it just like didn't stop? And the part where he was like "I won't flirt with you if you don't flirt with me" made me ALL KINDS OF UNCOMFORTABLE because it's not her job to maintain boundaries??? And the way it was resolved within the story was like... really struck me as a bad note to end on. ]]

Overall though, this was a pretty fun read, and I'd recommend if it you want more interactions between superheroes and competent, talented folks without powers. The ending is a nice balance of "could be a sequel, could be a standalone" and I'd be happy either way, really!… (altro)